22 nonprofit organizations in Hall County will receive a portion of almost $4 million of federal funding made available by the American Rescue Plan Act.
Hall County Commissioners voted unanimously for the measure at their meeting Thursday evening.
The county first announced in October 2021 that they would be setting aside a portion of their American Rescue Plan Act funds to support nonprofits in the community.
Hall County Commission Chairman Richard Higgins said the funding will go a long way in helping nonprofits hurt by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Hall County is great because we’ve got a lot of really good nonprofits … so many that do a great job,” Higgins said. “We’re pleased with how [the funding] turned out.”
Good News at Noon, Good News Clinics and Gateway House will receive the largest portion of the funding at $375,000 each.
Ken Gossage, director of Good News at Noon, said they plan to use the money to help fund their new facility at the intersection of Pearl Nix Parkway and Dorsey Street.
“The new building is basically going to allow us to more than double our footprint,” Gossage said. “For example, we can sleep 20 men in our transitional shelter. We will have 40 beds in our new building. We currently have 12 beds for women, and we will be able to have 20 beds over there for women.”
Gossage said the new building will also have a laundromat and computer lab to support the area’s homeless population. The project will cost about $3 million, and Gossage said the federal funding will make up over 10% of that cost.
Habitat for Humanity for Hall County will receive about $250,000 in federal funding from Hall County.
Alison McElvery, executive director of Habitat for Humanity, said the funding will go toward the completion of their Copper Glen neighborhood in Gainesville.
“When we first went and filed for the grant, we were looking for a match grant because we had a very philanthropic couple give us a $500,000 gift over a four-year period,” McElvery said. “The individual gift coupled with the $250,000 from the county will allow us to finish Copper Glen and build it out completely for 21 homeowners.”
McElvery said the completion of Copper Glen means a lot to her on a personal level.
“To be able to be here at the start of the subdivision and perhaps retired someday and leave the whole subdivision built out, it’s a dream come true for me and for the homeowners out there,” McElvery said.
A list of Hall County nonprofit organizations and the amount of federal funding they are receiving is available below.
-
Good News at Noon - $375,000
-
Good News Clinics - $375,000
-
Gateway House - $375,000
-
Gainesville Housing - $250,000
-
Habitat for Humanity - $250,000
-
Center Point - $233,742
-
Family Promise - $250,000
-
Hall / Dawson CASA - $175,000
-
My Sister’s Place - $60,000
-
Rape Response - $118,206
-
Boys and Girls Clubs - $250,000
-
Hispanic Alliance - $225,000
-
Georgia Mountains YMCA - $100,000
-
Good Samaritan Ministries of Northeast Georgia - $80,000
-
United Way - $250,000
-
Choices Pregancy Center - $60,790
-
Edmonson Telford Center for Children - $80,000
-
Sisu - $135,000
-
SAFFT - $179,839
-
Grady Young Foundation - $50,000
-
Friends of Recovery - $50,000
-
Sunshine Seniors - $48,450
